


Callie-beth

by addy_is_not_a_laddy



Series: Cancerstuck [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: AU, F/F, Humanstuck, Sarabeth, Songfic, Sort of Promstuck but not, cancerstuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-21
Updated: 2012-06-21
Packaged: 2017-11-08 05:36:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/439729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addy_is_not_a_laddy/pseuds/addy_is_not_a_laddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Calliope is diagnosed with cancer and decides to go to prom anyway.</p><p>Her friend won't let her go alone.</p><p>A songfic based around the song "Sarabeth" also known as "Skin" about a teenage girl with leukemia.<br/>It's an AU songfic don't hurt me agh.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Callie-beth

**Author's Note:**

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IocHzS2sRJ8
> 
> Listen to it with the fic if you can. :x I changed the words a tiny bit, so they fit better into the story.

_Callie-beth is scared to death to hear what the doctor will say_

  
Calliope Bethany Ophee sits in the waiting room,  trying her hardest not to cry.

_  
She hasn't been well since the day that she "fell"_

  
Her father had gone into a drunk rage, and her brother had decided it would be funny to for once not do anything to intercede.  She had gotten a much worse beting than usual.

_  
And the bruise, it just won't go away_

  
So here she sits, with her bruises from 'falling down some stairs' that her father has apparently warned her about, so thus isn't to blame.

_  
So she sits and she waits with her mother and dad_

  
Her father sits stiffly in a chair, her mother next to him.  Sometimes Callie wonders if her mother even cares that her father is abusive.  No matter what the damage, she has never made any comment about the bruises.  At least, not until Callie started getting sick.

_  
Flips through an old magazine_

  
Her mother is obviously trying to avoid making eye contact with Callie, but she won't look Callie's father in the eye either.  Which is something, Calliope supposes.

_  
Till the nurse with a smile stands at the door and says "Will you please come with me?"_

  
They wouldn't have even come to the hospital if it weren't for the fact that Callie's bruises aren't fading at all, she has been sick a lot lately, and has lost a lot of weight.  
  
 _Callie-beth is scared to death 'cause the doctor just told her the news_

  
Her world shatters the moment the docter tells her the reason behind her symptoms.  She can't think of how she is going to probably die.  Not when she knows this is going to cause so much more financial strain on her family.  Her father is only going to get worse, but maybe her mother will actually do something this time.

_  
"Between the red cells and white something's not right but we're gonna take care of you."_

  
The doctor doesn't smile, and doesn't frown.  Callie is thankful that he issn't giving her any fake pity or attempts at consolement, because she is sure it would only make her break down.  He just tells her family the facts, and gives them the options for treatment.

_  
"Six chances in ten it won't come back again with the therapy were gonna try. It's just been approved, it's the strongest there is, and I think we caught it in time."_

_  
_

The doctor tells her family what it's going to cost, and Callie just tries to tune all the bad news out.

  
 _Callie-beth closes her eyes, and she dreams she's dancing around and around without any cares and her very first love is holding her close and the soft wind is blowing her hair_

 

She closes her eyes, thinking of Dirk, and all that time she had spent crushing on him before someone had finally been kind enough to tell her he was gay.  She wishes he had danced with her at least once.  It would have been a good memory to look back on.

 

_Callie-beth is scared to death as she sits holding her mom_

 

They had left her father a week before, and Callie is not scared of him any more since he's in jail awaiting a trial.  He had tried to beat her again after findout out how much treatments were going to cost, and her mother had finally snapped and called the police.  her mother had even been keeping track lately of his abuse, and so had a long list of things for him to get tried on.  Not the least of which being attempted murder of his daughter.  No, he couldn't do anything to them now.  Instead, she was scared for her life.  Or maybe her not-life, because this was the worst thing that could have happened.

 

_'Cause it would be a mistake for someone to take a girl with no hair to the prom._

 

Deep down she already knew she wasn't going to have a date for prom.  Maybe it was a silly thing to be thinking about, but Calliope wouldn't stop thinking about it.  She had bought her ticket months ago, and she would go, but she was going to go alone.

 

_For, just this morning right there on her pillow was the cruelest of any surprise, and she cried when she gathered it all in her hands. It was the proof that she couldn't deny._

 

Even as she cries, she asks her mom to take the rest off.  She isn't going to let herself go through the slow process of losing her hair bit by bit.  She is going to take control in one of the only ways that she can.  She is going to shave her head, and she is still going to prom, even after losing even more weight and looking a lot like a walking skeleton.  
 _  
Callie-beth closes her eyes and she dreams she's dancing around and around without any cares and her very first love is holding her close and the soft wind is blowing her hair_

_  
_

As her mother shaves her head she daydreams about what a relationship with Dirk would have been like, if he had liked her.  Judging by how sweet he is to Jake, be probably would have been an amazing boyfriend.  
 _  
Its quarter to seven_

 

The clock read a quarter to seven and as Callie is about so step out the door with her mom and get into the car to go to prom, there's a knock.  Callie freezes, eyes wide.

 

_That girl's at the door_

 

Standing in the doorway is Roxy Lalonde, one of Callie's friends from school who has been talking to her online lately and really just being kind and amazing.  Callie has started to develop a small crush one her.

 

_And her momma ushers her in and when she takes off her scarf_

 

Callie's mom gestures for Roxy to come inside. Roxy walks in, in a sleek pink dress with a pink headscarf on.  She smiles happily, and offers Callie a corsage that matches her bright green dress.  After she fastens it to Callie's wrist Roxy unties the scarf on her head scarf and lets it fall.

 

_They all start to cry_

 

A choked sob came out of Callie's mouth, and her mother's too.  Her brother who had only been watching from the stairs stares with his mouth wide open.

 

_Cause this mornin where her hair had been softly she touches just skin_

 

Roxy had visited that morning to help put the final touches on the dress Callie was wearing, and she had still had her long red hair then.  Callie reaches out and gently touches the smooth skin, and Roxy steps closer.  She pulls Callie into a hug, and plants a gentle kiss on her lips.

"You look totes beautiful, Callie-beth." she whispers into Callie's ear.  Callie laughs a little, a grin on her face.  
  
 _And they go dancin'_

  
The walk hand-in-hand to the ridiculous limo Roxy rented, and Callie waves goodbye to her mother.

  
 _Around and around without any cares_

  
Callie and Roxy dance all night, right next to Dirk and Jake.

_  
And her very first true love is holding her close_

  
At the slow dances they hold each other close and rock gently with the music.  Calliope isn't so cold when they're holding each other, and Roxy just smiles like she's the luckiest girl on the planet.

_  
_

_And for a moment she isn't scared_

**Author's Note:**

> Wow I'm probably going to edit this later but for now here it stands as I cry a little. 
> 
> I'll maybe add chapters later with more backstory... maybe. Because there is a lot more to this story than I wrote, obviously. I have a whole lot of events in my head that happened, that lead to this, but I wasn't sure how to incorporate them into the story with the song, so... owo; later.
> 
> Forgive me.


End file.
